Air-compressing apparatus.



P. RUSSELL & A. W. SOHRAMM.

AIB GUMPBESSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.17, 1907 Patented'Dec. 6, 1910.

P. RUSSELL & A. W. SCHRAMM.

AIR COMPBESSING APPARATUS.

urmouxon FILED um. 17, 1907.

978,062. Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

4 SHEETSBHEET 2.

P. RUSSELL & A. W. SGHRAMM.

AIR GOMPRESSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1907.

978,062. Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

P. RUSSELL dz A. W. SCHRAMM. AIR GOMPBESBING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOI nun 10.17. 1901.

978,062. Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY RUSSELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ADOLPH W. SCHRAMM, 0F RIVERTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO ELECTRO DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR-COMPRESSING APPARATUS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 17, 1907'.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910. Serial No. 389,068.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PERCY RUSSELL and AnoLPH W. SOHRAMM, citizens of the United States, residin in Greater New York,.N. Y., and River-ton, ew Jersey, respectively, have invented certain Improvements in Air-Compressing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

One object of our invention is to provide what is in effect a compact, efficient, and quiet, automatically controlled air compressing plant, particu arly adapted for use by dentists, physicians, or for others who employ comfpressed air forany purpose.

It is urther desired to rovide an assemblage of a paratus inc uding a compressor driven rom a motor by a belt, with means whereb in the event of the belt breaking or flying ofi of its pulleys, the current would be automatically cut off from the motor.

Ive also desire to so arra e the elements of an air compressing plant t at the electric as well as the pipe connections shall be relatively few in number and short in length so that the cost of construction and space occupied by it shall be reduced to a, minimum.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the piping of ap aratus having the above characteristics an to provide it with means so that the various elements may be conveniently and quick] tested to ascertain whether they are air tig t or to locate a leak.

These and other advantageous endswe secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which f Figure 1, is an elevation of one end of the apparatus comprising our invention; Fig. 2, is an elevation of the other end of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is an elevation of one side of the apparatus shown in Fi s. 1 and 2; Fig. 4, is a lan illustrating t e construction of the be t controlled switch forming part of our invention; Fig. 5, is a perspective view further illustrating the switch shown in Fi 4, Fi 6, is a diagrammatic view of the e ectrica connections, and

Fig. 7, is a perspective view illustrating the storage tank for compressed air and this is employed as a means of support for the remainder of the apparatus.

The pump motor B is mounted directly upon the to of the tank A while the pump D 18 carrle upon the controller box or casmg C, which in turn is carried by the motor B.

The platform for the motor is supplied w1th a passage, indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, connecting with an opening at the top of the tank A, the passage extending'horizontally through the motor base I) and terminating ina boss I). This boss has screwed into it a three way valve 6 connect ed througha ipe c with the outlet (2 of the pump and use with a conduit 0 leading into the controller box C. This valve also has a third outlet 'for the attachment of a rubber pipe or other conduit leading to the apparatus to be supplied with compressed alr. The connection. between the, motor base and the tank is so designed that it serves as the means for mechanically holding the motor, box and pump in position onthe tank. The motor baseis provided with four feet in the form of ad uStable screws b whereby it ma be properly adjusted as to its position an support upon the top of the tan The controller box has four-terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, of which any two, except diagonall opposite pairs, may be connected to the inc, while the remaining pair is connected to leads .6 and. b fromthe terminals of the motor. This controller box contains the mechanism whereby current is automatically supplied to andautomatically cut off from the motor B, depending upon the air pressure in the tank A. While as a matter of fact any form of air controlled switch may be employed in this controller box, we preferably use the one described and claimed in an application for patent filed by Adolph V. Schramm and Alfred E. Oswald, on. August 29, 1907, Serial Number 390,677 There is also contained in the controller box C a switch illustrated in detail in Figs. 4 and 5 and designed to be controlled by the pump driving belt. This switch consists of a spindle 0 extending through the side of the box and carrying on its inner end a plate or bar 0 of insulating material; There is also a pair of spring contacts a it (i mounted within the controller box in such manner as to normally tend to engage each other and so placed as to be capable of being separated by the plate The branch pipe c communicates with the interior of a casing l which contains a metallic or other suitable diaphragm. which, with its mounting isomitted. as these are of any suitable construction whose detail features l'orm no part of the present invention. Said diaphragm. how-ever, operates upon a pin 2 which in turn engages a lever 3 provided with trunnions l, journaled in suitably formed lugs projecting upwardly at the sides of the diaphragm-casing l".

' The lever and the diaphragm aremaintained in a definite position by a spring 5 which acts upon an arm (3 of the said lever. ()ne of the horizontally projecting arms of the latter carries a pair of stops 7 and S, of which the lowermost is connected to one of the electric terminals of the device. A movable switch member 9 is confined between two abutments 10 and 11 in such a manner that it is maintained in either one of two bowed positions, in engagement either with the contact 7 or with the stop 8. ()ne of the spring contacts c is connected to the abutment l1 and hence to the spring switch member 9, and it will be understood that the remainder of the contacts are connected to the terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, so as to secure the objects previously noted.

Fixed to the outer end of the spindle is an arm a carrying an idler pulley c and a spring 0 is so fixed to said spindle 0 that it tends to turn this to such a position that the insulating plate 0 will be interposed. between the spring contacts a. The arm 0'' with its pulley will then occupy the position indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4, and a stop a is provided to prevent said arm from moving past this position. The pump, which as before noted, is mounted on the top of controller box, is provided with a vertically placed cylinder cl and a horizontally extending main shaft (Z This latter is connected to the piston of the pump (not shown) through a crank d and a connecting rod (17' being provided at. one end with a relatively large pulley (i This pullcy is in line with the idler pulley 0 carried on the arm 0 of thecontroller box and also with a pulley b on the motor shaft. so that a relatively short belt may be used to connect said pulleys in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The air for the pump is taken through a combined filter and mutller casing and under operating conditions is compressed by the pump so as to be delivcred through the pipe 0 to the controller hox C and to the tank A.

From Fig. 6, it will be notedthat the spring contacts are placed in series with the motor B and one of the line terminals,

there being also in series with said motor and said spring contacts, a switch 0, whose operation -1s dependent upon the variations of the air pressure within the tank A.

Under operating conditions it. will be seen that the spring (1 tends to turn the arm c and with it the pulley c from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, to the position shown in dotted lines and it will be understood that this spring is so designed as to maintain the proper tension upon the belt F for most etiiciently transmittingthe power from the motor B to the pump D. If for any reason, this belt should break or fly otl' its pulleys. the spring will at once turn the arm (F into the position shown in dotted lines and thereby cause the plate 0- of insulating material to be interposed between the two spring contacts 0, thus breaking the motor circuit and stopping the motor.' The three way valve or cock 0 is provided with a handle which, as shown, has three arms and said valve is so constructed that its in-' ternal passages extend in lines substantially parallel to the lines of said arms. By means of this valve it is possible to ascertain the presence and location of a leak in any part of the apparatus since if a pressure gage be connected to its horizontal outlet, the existence of a leak any where in; the system would, with the valve in the position shown in Fig. 2, be at once shown by a falling of the gage needle; it being assumed that the tank contained air under a pressure of say sixty pounds to the square inch. If the handle be turned 180 from the position shown. then a falling of the gage needle would indicate a leakage in whatever piping or apparatus was connected to the horizontal outlet of the valve. on the other hand, when the handle is turned so that its middle arm is directed vertically upward then, a falling of the gage needle would point to a leak in the air pump mechanism controller box, or in the piping above the valve e, while if the handle is mounted so that its middle arm points downwardly, the gage would give evidence of a leak in the tank or in the connections below said valve.

W'e claim:

1. The combination of a motor, a controller box mounted thereon, a pump on the controller box, a normally closed switch in said box in circuit with the motor, a spring actuated arm, a pulley thereon, a. belt connecting the motor and the pum and engaged by said pulley, a shaft fixe to said arm and supported so as to extend. in a line assing between the two runs of the belt, an means operatively connected to the shaft for causing opening of the switch when the belt is disengaged from the pulley.

2. The combination of a motor havin a driving pulley, a pump also having a pul ey, a switch in circuit with the motor, an arm having a body of insulating material and carrying an idler pulley, a belt for said pulleys, with a spring acting on the arm and placed to tend to move the body of insulatmg material between the switch contacts and glslo to cause the idler pulley to tighten the 3. The combination of a tank for compressed air, a motor mounted on said tank, a base member for said motor provided with an air passage formed in its body and connected to the tank; a controller box mounted on the motor, 'a pump mounted on the controller box, and an air conduit communicating with the passage in the base 'of the motor, with the pump, and with the controller box.

4. The combination of a tank; a motor; a controller box having a switch including a belt controlled member; and a pump, said pieces of apparatus being superposed respectively one upon and vertically above the other; a belt connectin the motor and the pump and controllin t e operation of said switch member; wit means whereby the tank, motor, controller box, and pump are rigidly connected together.

5. The combination of a tank with a controller box, a motor, and a pump mounted one above the other on said tank, a conduit connecting the controller box and the pump with the tank, and screws placed between the tank and the motor in positions to reinforce and prevent side strains upon said conduit where it enters the tank.

(3. The combination of a tank; a motor having a'base provided with an interior passage and mounted on the tank; and a pump carried by the motor; said base including a structure directly connected to the tank for rigidly holding said ap aratus in position, and the passage of the ase communicating with the tank through said structure.

7. The combination of an electric motor, a pump, a belt connecting-said motor and the pump, and an electric switch, said switch consisting of a pair of contacts normally in engagement with each other, a revoluble spindle, an insulating piece carried by said spindle, a spring tending to move said piece between the two contacts, and an arm having a portion engaging the belt and connected to the spindle so as to normally hold said piece 'away from the contacts.

8. The combination of a tank, a motor, air actuated controlling means for said motor and a pump mounted on said tank, a conduit including a passage extending through the base of the motor for connecting the tank with the said controlling means and with the pump, said conduit terminating in a threaded plug entering the tank, with a three way valve placed in the conduit.

9. The combination of a tank; a motor and a pump mounted one above the other in a substantially vertical series; a centrally placed threaded connection between the tank and the motor for holding said parts upon the tank and having a passage for conducting air into and out of said tank; with compression members also between the tank and the motor in positions to cooperate with the central connection in holding the parts in place.

10. The combination of an electric motor; a pump; a belt connecting said motor and pump for driving the latter; a motor controlling switch including a movable member; an arm engaging the belt and connected to the member; with a spring acting on the arm and normally tending to open the switch.

111 testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PERCY RUSSELL. ADOLPH W. SCHRAMM. \Vitnesses:

CHARLES C. NORRIS, Jr., M. ELEANOR ROBERTS. 

